


By the Light of the Moon

by haileys_comet



Category: Fate: The Winx Saga (TV)
Genre: Drug Addiction, F/M, Fairies, Magic, Overdosing, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:22:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29926485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haileys_comet/pseuds/haileys_comet
Summary: Riven starts to see, really see Terra for the first time.
Relationships: Bloom/Sky (Winx Club), Sam Harvey/Musa, Terra Harvey/Riven
Comments: 11
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Terra scanned her flashlight over the crop of midnight orchids she’d been looking for outside the Barrier, dropping down to her knees and beginning to pick them, delicately separating the flower’s bloom from the stem and depositing them into the basket beside her. She worked carefully but diligently, and was so immersed in the process she didn’t hear the rustling grass around her. 

“Oi! What do you think you’re doing out here?” 

Terra whirled around, instinctively shooting her hands forward and making vines spring from the ground to wrap around whoever had startled her. She dropped her hands and let out an exasperated sigh when she saw it was Riven, who was now struggling and cursing in the tight grip of the vines she had around him. She waved her hands and they slithered back to the ground, invisible. 

“That’s none of your concern,” she said haughtily, turning back to her flower picking. He snorted and came closer to see what she was doing. Terra realized he must have been out on patrol, since he was wearing his Specialist uniform and had his sword out. 

“There’s Burned Ones running around out here and you’re picking flowers?” he said incredulously once he saw what she was doing. 

She stood up again, scowling at him. “I am not just picking flowers, you halfwit. These are midnight orchids, and when mixed with the right ingredients, they can vanish nightmares and bad dreams. You can only pick them on a full moon, otherwise they’re completely ineffectual.” 

Riven stared at her silently, his thumb running over the metal knotting in the hilt of his sword. “You been having bad dreams?” he asked finally. 

Terra shot him another withering look before sinking back down to finish picking the midnight orchids. “They’re not for me.” 

“Who are they for?” he asked, watching as she deftly separated the orchid blooms. Terra stopped and looked up at him, her green eyes hard. 

“Why, so you can make fun of them? No thanks.” 

“I wouldn’t make fun of them,” Riven muttered, kicking at the dirt. Terra scoffed. 

“I find that hard to believe considering you make fun of literally everyone, myself included. You’re an asshole, Riven. And I’m not giving you ammunition to hurt someone I care about.” 

Riven sighed. “Look, Terra, I’m sorry I’ve said some hurtful things to you in the past. And to people you care about. I was an asshole, you’re absolutely right. But I’m trying to do better. Turn over a new leaf.” 

He thought he saw her lips twitch at the small joke, just briefly. But it was gone before he was certain. 

“Even if that’s true, I don’t trust you. Now, can you please let me finish gathering these midnight orchids in peace?” 

He shrugged. “Sorry, but I can’t do that. It’s my duty as a Specialist to patrol the perimeter of the Barrier and protect the fairies. So I’m staying right here until you’re finished and safely back at Alfea.” 

He couldn’t see her face, but he was certain Terra was rolling her eyes at him. “Fine. Just be quiet and let me work.” 

Riven leaned up against a nearby tree trunk and watched as Terra continued gathering the midnight orchid blooms, wondering who she was mixing a potion for. He was struck by the danger she put herself in to do something kind for the people she loved. Coming out beyond the perimeter and risking herself to pick flowers so she could chase someone’s bad dreams away… did he have anyone in his life who would do something like that for him? Certainly not. 

Riven was struck by the way the light of the moon fell on the pale, soft features of Terra’s face, her brown hair impatiently tucked behind her ears so she could see her work better. He felt a sick pit of shame well up inside of him for the way he had treated her over the past few years. They had been best friends at one point, spending their days together in the greenhouse, trimming plants and potting soil, laughing and pelting dirt pellets at each other. But he knew how it would look to other Specialists if they saw him hanging around an Earth fairy, spending all his free time planting flowers. He’d look weak. Lame. So he pushed Terra away. He’d been cruel and stupid. And for what? Some clout as the number two Specialist? He was pathetic. 

Still lost in his thoughts, Riven heard Terra whisper something. “What did you say?” he asked, straightening and trying to pull himself together. 

“I didn’t say anything.”

There was rustling around them. Riven’s grip on his sword tightened. “Terra, I think we should get back to Alfea now.” 

Terra heard the seriousness of his tone and stood, picking up the basket of midnight orchid blooms. “Okay.” 

Riven waited for her to get in front and kept close, his sharp eyes glancing around them to assess for threats. They could still hear the rustling of the leaves and grass, and it seemed to be getting closer. Suddenly, Terra came to a halt, throwing her arm back to stop Riven. He started to protest before she turned to him and put her fingers to her lips, pointing ahead of them.

A Burned One. And by the looks of it, it was gorging on some poor, long dead animal. Riven tilted his head towards the direction of the Barrier, which he guessed was about 100 yards away. Terra nodded and the two of them started to carefully make their way towards it as quietly as possible. 

They’d made it about halfway when a twig snapped underneath Terra’s foot. That was all it took to attract the attention of the Burned One, who was no longer interested in the mutilated animal corpse it had been devouring. It let out a roar before it began to sprint towards them, closing the distance quickly. 

“Run, Terra!” Riven shouted, giving her a shove towards the barrier. He held his sword tightly, taking up a defensive pose as the Burned One hurtled towards him, ready to fight. The Burned One stopped suddenly, struggling against the vines wrapping themselves around it’s legs, howling in anger and frustration at being deterred from its prey. Riven glanced to his left and saw Terra using her powers, her green eyes glowing fiercely as she held the Burned One in place. 

“What are you doing?” he shouted at her. “Get out of here!” 

“Shut up, Riven!” Terra hissed at him through gritted teeth. He heard the vines snapping and turned his attention back towards the Burned One, who had their eyes on Terra now, growling as it ran towards her. Terra was trying to ensnare it in vines again, but having grown weary of her tricks, the Burned One was sidestepping them with lightning fast agility, closing in on them quickly. Riven sprung forward before it could get any closer, slashing at the Burned One with it’s sword. He managed to wound it enough for it to let out a scream of pained fury, quickly darting away from it’s sharp fingernails, knowing what damage a simple scratch could do. He was doing a decent job of parrying with it, avoiding it’s attacks while slashing at it with his sword, when the heel of his boot hit an exposed tree root and he tumbled backwards, landing on his rear, his sword bouncing away from him. 

The Burned One screeched in his face, it’s arms outstretched, ready to deal a fatal blow. Riven scrambled backwards, trying to get out of the way, when a giant, sharp thorn pierced through the Burned One’s neck, severing its head from it’s body, which fell uselessly to the ground, millimeters from Riven’s feet. He looked up aghast at Terra, who looked as surprised as he did, the giant thorn on a vine slithering back into the earth. Shakily, Riven got up and retrieved his sword. 

“Uh, thanks. Didn’t know you could do that.” he said, joining her again. Terra gave him an uneasy smile as she picked up her fallen basket. 

“That makes two of us. Are you all right?” 

“My pride is slightly wounded. Wish you hadn’t seen me trip and almost die, but it beats being Burned One chow.” he replied as they began making their way to the Barrier. Once they reached it, he waited for Terra to pass through.

“Well, good night then, Riven,” she said, turning away from him to make her way to the greenhouse. 

“Wait!” he blurted out. Terra turned back to face him, raising an eyebrow. 

“Would - can - can you make me some of that potion, too?” he asked her lowly, his knuckles turning white from how hard he gripped the hilt of his sword. 

Terra’s features softened. “Sure. I should have it ready for tomorrow morning.” 

He let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks.” 

Terra nodded and started to walk away. Riven watched her go until he couldn’t see her anymore, then turned back to continue patrolling the Barrier’s perimeter.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, while Riven was eating his breakfast, Terra approached him. He watched with some amusement as she looked around to make sure no one was glancing at them before placing a small vial with purple liquid next to his tray. 

“Worried what people will think if they see us talking?” he asked after swallowing his latest bite. Terra scoffed. 

“You helped me stop caring about what people think a long time ago, Riven. I was making sure the coast was clear for you sake.” 

“My sake?” he asked. “I told you, I’m trying to be a better person. And that kind of person doesn’t give a shit if people see me talking to the scary Earth fairy.” 

Terra smirked at him. “You think I’m scary?” 

“More like absolutely terrifying. You decapitated a Burned One last night, Terra. If anything, you’re kind of a badass.” 

Terra tried to not look too pleased with herself. “Well, you helped. Anyway, this potion. You take a small sip of it before bed every night. That vial should last you a few weeks. It’ll give you good dreams instead of bad ones.” 

Riven picked up the vial and studied it with interest. “And what happens after I finish the vial?” 

Terra hesitated. “The bad dreams will likely come back, if they’re recurring. I can make more for you. But…” 

“But what?” Riven asked, glancing up at her. Terra looked uncomfortable. 

“I need a favour.” she said finally. 

Riven was curious now. “What kind of favour?” 

“I need you to show me where Grim Lake is.” 

“Grim Lake?” Riven asked incredulously. “Why the hell do you need to know where Grim Lake is?” 

Terra sighed. “Tiger root grows around there. We need it to make more Zanbaq, we’re almost out. I heard my dad say there was some by Grim Lake, but-”

“The location is kept secret from fairies. For good reason,” Riven said, giving Terra a hard look. “It’s a fucking hot bed for Burned Ones.” 

“Look, I think we can agree that, after last night, I can handle myself,” Terra argued. “I have to get it, okay? My dad… he can’t handle it. After Sam nearly died last year…” 

Riven closed his eyes. He knew Professor Harvey had been struggling after very nearly losing his son. Terra’s father, once known as a cheerful and powerful Earth fairy himself, had been having difficulty with his own magic since his son’s close brush with death. The man could barely get a flower to bloom these days. 

“Can’t someone else get the tiger root?” he asked Terra. She shook her head. 

“It needs to be an Earth fairy. Tiger root lies below the ground - we can detect it and force it to grow.” 

Riven sighed. “Okay, fine. I’ll take you to Grim Lake. But I’m not just showing you the breeding grounds for Burned Ones and leaving. I’ll take you there, you’ll collect your pain in the ass roots, and then we come back to Alfea. No beheading any monsters or stopping to pick flowers, got it?” 

Terra rolled her eyes at him. “Party pooper. Fine.” 

“Good. Now, I’m not on patrol again until next week, so it’ll have to wait until then.” 

Terra nodded. “That’ll work.” 

The bell rang, signalling the beginning of classes. Terra bid a quick farewell before hurrying out the cafeteria doors to her first class, while Riven stood up and dumped his tray before heading to Specialist training outside. They were practicing sparring today, and as he and Sky practiced together, his thoughts remained on Terra. Why was she so selfless and good, and why couldn’t he stop thinking about that simple fact? 

Sky knocked him to the ground with a sweeping kick that he didn’t see coming. Riven groaned and laid there as Sky laughed and held out his hand to help him up. They were evenly matched - although Sky was bigger and stronger, Riven was a quicker and more stealthy fighter. 

“You all right, Riv?” Sky asked as he helped him to his feet. Riven nodded. 

“Yeah, just tired.” 

“Saw you talking to Terra earlier,” Sky said, giving him a look. Riven scoffed. 

“So what?” 

“So I hope you’re being nice to her.” Sky replied as they made their way to the locker room. Riven raised an eyebrow at his friend. 

“Is this coming from you, or from Bloom?” he asked, smirking slightly. Sky blushed. 

“From both of us, okay? She might be Bloom’s roommate and one of her best friends, but I also happen to think you need to be nicer to people, especially Terra. You’ve said some really awful things to and about her, and that video that went around last year…” 

Riven felt that same pit of shame open up inside of him again. “Look, I know. I’ve done and said some awful shit to Terra. But I’m trying to do better. I promise I’m being nice to her. Lord knows if I wasn’t, the girl could choke me with a vine.”

Sky didn’t look entirely convinced. “Okay. Do you want to go to the library and work on our updated blueprints of the outer perimeter?” 

Riven agreed and the two shower and changed before heading to the library, where they spent the rest of the day. Riven made a point of finding and locating Grim Lake on the blueprints, making sure he knew the best way to get there from the Barrier, so he’d be well prepared for his and Terra’s excursion next week. He looked for her at dinner, but was unable to spot her - maybe she was eating in her suite, or in the greenhouse. Mildly disappointed, he finished eating and returned to his and Sky’s suite, where he retrieved an old shoebox from under his bed. He opened it and carefully picked through the contents - a few old polaroids, a heavy silver locket on a fine chain, and his mother’s journal. 

Riven gingerly picked up the small leather-bound book, flipping it open about halfway through, to the last entry. 

_September 15, 2009_

__

__

_I want to do better. I want to give Riven everything he needs. Be a good person. Be a good mother. But it’s hard…_

_I need to do better. I need to be a good person. I need to be a good mother. It’s hard, but I can do it. It’s the right thing to do. The honourable thing._

_I will do this. I will be better._

Riven closed the journal and swallowed hard. He’d looked at it almost every night, ever since Professor Silva had given it to him last year on his 17th birthday with a sad look in his eyes. At first, he didn’t want to look at it. His mother had died from an overdose on fae dust, a powerful narcotic that was extremely addictive to non-fairies that let them experience a weightless feeling, as if all their troubles just melted away. But fae dust was dangerous, and too much could prove to be fatal. 

Riven had been the one to find her. He’d just come home from school. He’d been excited to show her a test he’d done well on, one where he’d received a shiny red sticker in the shape of an apple. At first, he’d called her name, but when she didn’t come, he went looking for her. And that’s when he found her. Slumped over the kitchen table, her body pale and cold to the touch. He was seven years old. 

Professor Silva, a former close friend of his mother’s, had taken him in. Riven never knew his father, and whenever he had tried to ask his mother about him, she had refused to talk about it. So, here he was. An orphaned Specialist who spent most of his evenings pouring over his dead mother’s journal. And he wondered where the nightmares came from… 

Riven sighed, retrieving the potion vial Terra had given him from his pant’s pocket. He uncorked it and, remembering Terra’s instructions, took a small sip. Then he laid down in his bed and closed his eyes, letting sleep overtake him. 

***

When Riven opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was an overwhelming amount of green. He looked around and realized he was in the greenhouse. The air smelled like dirt, like flowers and slightly medicinal, but in a good way. It smelled… like home. 

Sun was streaming through the glass windows, casting a bright light on everything it touched and making the room warm and balmy. Riven was still taking in all the plants and flora around him when the door to the greenhouse flew open, and Terra strode in, looking murderous.

“You _idiot_ ,” she hissed at him, the nearby flowers seeming to shrink away from the mere tone of her voice. Riven stared at her, bewildered as she slammed her hands down on the table in front of him. “You gave you sword to Dane outside of the barrier after that _dolt_ lost his, then you separate from him to go investigate a weird noise? Do you have a deathwish?” 

“I-” Riven started to say, bewildered. Terra wasn’t having it. 

“Apparently you do! Is dating me so terrible that you need to immediately go into the forest and try to off yourself?” she huffed.

Riven blinked. “What was that last bit?” he asked slowly. 

Terra sighed impatiently. “What, the bit about me asking if dating me is so terrible that it drives you to go and end things?” 

Riven was speechless. “I’m sorry,” he finally managed to get out. Terra gave him a hard look before rolling her eyes and grabbing the collar of his shirt to pull him in for a kiss. 

Oh, that kiss. 

Terra’s lips were soft and warm on his. It felt like he was kissing sunshine. Riven leaned forward more, his hand moving to gently tuck her hair behind her ear as he caressed her soft skin, their mouths melding together. It was Terra who gently pulled away, gazing up at him with a soft look in her green eyes. 

“Please be more careful,” she said softly to him. “For me.” 

***

Riven’s eyes snapped open as he woke up, his alarm blaring. He quickly turned it off and laid in bed, stunned. 

“Oh,” he said finally.


	3. Chapter 3

Riven got ready for class that morning mechanically, showering and dressing without even thinking about what he was doing. He was still distracted by his dream. Terra had said that the potion replaced bad dreams with good ones. He couldn’t deny that what he had dreamed hadn’t been good, but he wasn’t quite ready to admit to himself what the dream implied. He needed more information, first. 

Riven made his way to the cafeteria, not bothering to get anything to eat as he scanned the tables for Terra. There! She was just coming in with Musa. Riven strode up to her, cutting their conversation off. 

“Can I talk to you?” he asked Terra, ignoring the look Musa was giving him. Her eyes were wide. 

_Oh, shit. Fucking Mind fairies._ He groaned internally, realizing she could feel his every emotion. Terra looked at him with concern before nodding and giving Musa a wave as the two of them moved to the side. 

“What’s going on?” she asked, her brow puckering in confusion. Riven found he wanted to smooth it out with his thumb. He chased the impulse away. 

“Listen, that - the potion you gave me, for bad dreams. Is it supposed to do anything else?” he asked, waiting for Terra to tell him it was also a love potion or something. 

Terra shook her head slowly. “No, all it does is replace bad dreams with good ones. Why? What happened? Did it not work?” 

Riven couldn’t help himself - he let out a dark chuckle. “Oh, it worked… just not how I expected it to. When you say good dreams, what specifically do you mean?” 

Terra shrugged. “I don’t know, things your brain thinks are good? I always dream of massive gardens and lush plants. That kind of thing. Riven, what did you dream about?” 

“That’s kind of private, Terra.” he grumbled, hoping his face wasn’t colouring. It was like a lightbulb went off over her head. 

“Oh! Oh, I see. Well, that’s also a normal reaction to have-” 

“Please stop talking,” Riven groaned, putting his hands over his ears. Terra bit her lip. 

“Sorry,” she apologized, looking contrite. “I won’t tell anyone, I know Beatrice’s name is mud around here these days-” 

Riven stopped listening. Terra thought he’d been dreaming of _Beatrice._ The girl who casually murdered Dowling’s last assistant. The girl he’d hooked up when he didn’t give a shit about trying to be a better person. The girl who would never do something kind for someone else, unless there was something in it for her. Well, he’d let her think that. 

Terra had finished speaking. “Thanks,” Riven muttered, scratching his head. “Uh, listen, I’m gonna head off to training now. See you later.” 

Terra waved goodbye and he left, his thoughts swirling around in his head like a fidget spinner. His subconscious thought kissing Terra was *good*. Actually, his body thought so, too, judging from the reaction he’d seen from it under the bedsheets after waking up. Riven pushed the thoughts out of his head and resolved to focus on training, hoping to exhaust himself and get a good night’s sleep without the help of Terra’s potion. 

The day was long, not helped by the grueling laps around the track, sparring, and weightlifting that Riven put himself through. Even Sky, who frequently took on a similarly demanding training schedule, was shooting him looks of concern and confusion as he pushed himself to his limits. When Professor Silva finally dismissed them for the day, Riven went to the cafeteria and grabbed a couple of sandwiches before hurrying back to his suite. His stomach rumbling, he tore them from the wax paper and scarfed them down before realizing his rough day of training meant he needed to take another shower. He was smelling pretty ripe.

Sighing, he headed to the communal showers outside their suite. He was standing underneath the stream of scalding hot water pounding his skull when he heard two voices enter the room. 

“Okay, but if you had to pick one, who would it be?” the first voice asked, high-pitched with excitement. 

“The light fairy, for sure. The princess. You just know that pussy is cream of the fucking crop, man!” 

Riven stiffened as he listened to the two boys disrobe and turn on their own showers. They weren’t done talking. 

“Me, I’m partial to the redhead. Bloom? Redheads are supposed to be insane in the sack. Rumour has it Sky’s fucked them both.” 

“Any of them would be good in bed, I bet,” the first voice continued, pensive. “Even that fat Earth fairy seems like she’d be a good time if you like a little junk in the trunk.” 

Riven clenched his fists and bit the inside of his cheek as the two boys laughed. Oh, he wanted to beat these little punks into the grout and tile of the communal showers. But he decided to take a different tact. One Terra would approve of. 

Leaving his shower running, he quickly dried off and dressed, not listening as the boys moved on from potential sexual conquests to which one of them was the better fighter. He spotted their clothes and towels and scooped them up, stealthily sneaking out of the showers and heading back to his suite, where he deposited them in the trash. His deed done, he returned to his room and laid down in bed where he quickly became drowsy and surrendered himself to sleep. 

***  
The world looked so big. Or maybe it just seemed that way because he was small. He reached up to open the front door to his house, shrugging his Batman backpack off and unzipping it to pull out his math test, where his teacher had placed a shiny red apple sticker below his perfect score. 

“Mum!” he called out, stepping out of his LED sneakers and peeking into the living room. “Mum! I’m home! And I got a perfect score on my math test!” 

There was no answer. Undeterred, Riven made his way to the kitchen, thinking his mother would be making a cuppa. She hadn’t been feeling well lately, so maybe the tea would make her better. 

The first thing he noticed upon entering the kitchen was how quiet it was. There was no water boiling on the kettle, the dishwasher wasn’t going, the radio wasn’t on - that was his first clue something was wrong. His mother loved to listen to the radio as she tidied up the kitchen and made dinner for the two of them. Then he spotted her. She was slumped over the kitchen table, like she was so tired, she had to take a nap right then and there. But she didn’t look right. She looked… stiff. Like she’d been napping for too long. 

Worried, Riven approached his mother and tugged on the sleeve of her shirt. “Mum? You have to wake up now, I’m home from school. Mum? MUM!” he shouted her name and shook her arm hard, trying to make her wake up. The movement jostled her cold, unyielding form and her head suddenly rolled off her body, causing Riven to scream in horror. 

***

Riven woke up with a muffled yell, sitting straight up, his sweat-soaked sheets clinging to his skin as he caught his breath and his heartbeat steadied. He let out a sigh, glancing at his phone to check the time. 1:34 AM. Reluctantly, he reached for the vial Terra had given him, uncorking it and swallowing a small amount so he could drift off to sleep in peace.


End file.
